Highly flexible and accessible freezer drawer rack

ABSTRACT

A storage system for efficiently storing samples in tubes or bottles in an upright freezer is disclosed. A rack has at least one drawer—the drawer slides out for high accessibility. Tubes or bottles may immediately be stored or retrieved without using boxes. The drawer may be fitted with a removable top plate with at least one hole. Into the hole, an insert may be placed for stabilizing tubes of different diameter and shapes and for storing other samples such as cryo-vials and slides. More importantly, the system can be easily configured for storing tubes, bottles, boxes, or any combination thereof. In the prior art, bottles and tubes are stored in boxes which are then placed in the drawer. Moreover, bottles and tubes are stored separately. Boxes must be outfitted with cell dividers in order to store tubes, and only tubes of the same diameter can be stored in the same box.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention provides a drawer rack system for efficiently storing tubes, bottles, and other containers in an upright freezer. Upon sliding a drawer out of its rack, tubes or bottles may immediately be stored or retrieved. Moreover, tubes of different diameter and size may be stored in this invention without having to use boxes and cell dividers. Additionally, the system allows for quick turnaround when allocating space among bottles, tubes, or boxes.

2. Description of Related Art

Efficiently storing, retrieving, and keeping track of hundreds or thousands of samples stored in tubes or bottles is no simple task. Today, hundreds or thousands of samples may be stored in a single freezer. Moreover, biotechnology's continued rapid advance will require ever more efficient storage, retrieval, and tracking systems.

For easy access, an upright freezer is often filled with drawers, each of which may contain one or more racks. Ideally, the tubes and/or bottles are stored in a drawer according to some logical relationship. Each drawer can hold one or more boxes. The boxes are either empty so as to accept bottles or outfitted with dividers to stabilize tubes of the same diameter.

Thus, a given tube could be stored in Freezer 1, Rack A, Drawer ii, Box d. While this system is organized and accessible, it still leaves much to be desired. In order to access a single bottle or tube, you must first identify, take out, and then open the box(es) of interest from each drawer. This is not only slow, but it also allows for mistakes (i.e. the tubes or bottles are placed in the wrong box and/or the box is placed in the wrong drawer). Furthermore, if you have tubes of different diameter, you would have to put them in different boxes. As mentioned above, current box dividers create cells of uniform size, meaning that a single box can only store tubes of the same diameter. Clearly, it would be far better if all of the logically related samples were easily stored and accessible from one drawer.

A need exists, therefore, for a system that can efficiently store bottles and/or tubes of different diameter in the same drawer without resorting to cumbersome and confusing boxes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to providing high accessibility to centrifugal tubes and/or bottles within a freezer drawer rack. More specifically, the present invention is directed toward providing a flexible configuration drawer that is capable of storing bottles and/or tubes of different diameter without the use of cumbersome boxes. Boxes may still be stored in the drawer if so desired. Additionally, the invention allows for easy and quick configuration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the prior art;

FIG. 2 a perspective view of an exemplary storage system in which the present invention may be implemented;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an exemplary drawer and plate system within the storage system of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a head-on view of an exemplary face plate of the drawer of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 5 a-5 f are perspective views of several exemplary inserts within the storage system of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an exemplary partitioned drawer within the storage system of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an exemplary tube rack in which the present invention may be implemented.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the figures, FIG. 1 depicts a pictorial representation of a prior art storage system. The storage system 100 consists of one or more drawers 102. The drawers are then stored within a frame 104. For ease of use, the frame 104 may be constructed so that the drawers 102 slide in smoothly. The drawer 102 has a face plate 106. The face plate 106 is further fitted with a handle 108. The drawer 102 also has a bottom plate 110, upon which one or more boxes 10 may be placed. The box 10 may either be plain or fitted with a cell divider. Bottles and other containers may be placed into plain boxes, while sample tubes of the same diameter may be placed into a box containing a divider.

FIG. 2 depicts an exemplary storage system in which the present invention may be implemented. The storage system 200 consists of one or more drawers 202. The drawers are then stored within a frame 204, as commonly known in the art. For ease of use, the frame 204 may be constructed so that the drawers 202 slide in smoothly, as commonly known in the art. A drawer 202 has a face plate 206. The face plate 206 is further fitted with a handle 208, as commonly known in the art. Furthermore, the face plate 206 may be fitted with an identifying card holder 210. The drawer 202 also has a removable top plate 212 with at least one hole 214. A bottom plate 218 is fitted to the drawer 202 to support items stored in the drawer 202.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the storage system 200 depicted in FIG. 2 may vary. The depicted example is not meant to imply physical limitations with respect to the present invention. The frame 204 and the drawers 202, for example, may take forms other than those shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 depicts an exemplary drawer and plate system 300 within the storage system of FIG. 2 configured to store sample tubes 40. The drawer 202 has a removable top plate 212, with at least one hole 214, that fits securely over the top surface of the drawer 202. The hole 214 may further accept an insert 216 for stabilizing sample tubes 40. Thus, sample tubes 40 may be stored and retrieved without the use of cumbersome boxes.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the exemplary drawer and plate system 300 depicted in FIG. 3 may vary. The depicted example is not meant to imply physical limitations with respect to the present invention. The holes 214, for example, may take shapes and sizes other than those shown in FIG. 3. Furthermore, the removable top plate 212 may employ various means commonly known in the art to secure it the drawer 202.

FIG. 4 depicts an exemplary face plate 206 of the drawer of FIG. 2. The face plate 206 is further fitted with a handle 208. One object of the invention is to ease the tracking of samples. As such, the face plate 206 has an identifying card holder 210.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the exemplary face plate depicted in FIG. 4 may vary. The depicted example is not meant to imply physical limitations with respect to the present invention. The identifying card holder 210 and the handle 208, for example, may take forms other than those shown in FIG. 4.

FIGS. 5 a-5 f depict several exemplary inserts within the storage system of FIG. 2. FIG. 5 a depicts a standard large inner diameter insert 500. The insert 500 has a tubular outer casing 502 sized to fit into the hole 214 of the top plate 212. The outer casing 502 has protruding ribs 504 to keep the insert in place once until it is removed from the top plate 212. The insert 500 has a circular through-hole 506 with a consistent bore, thereby forming a generally hollow tube. The insert 510 of FIG. 5 b is identical to the insert 500 of FIG. 5 a except that the circular through-hole 508 bore of FIG. 5 b is smaller size than that of FIG. 5 a. One object of the invention is to provide flexibility. The use of removable inserts with different bore sizes allows for sample tubes 40 of different diameter to be stored and stabilized without the use of boxes.

The insert 520 of FIG. 5 c is identical to the insert 500 of FIG. 5 a except that the circular through-hole 522 of FIG. 5 c forms a funnel. This feature should allow the insert 520 accommodate a wider variety of tube sizes and shapes.

The insert 530 of FIG. 5 d is identical to the insert 500 of FIG. 5 a except that the circular through-hole 532 of FIG. 5 d is lined with protruding flexible fingers 534. Thus, the insert 530 of FIG. 5 d provides even greater flexibility in accommodating tubes of different shapes and sizes.

The insert 540 of FIG. 5 e is especially well suited for storing cryo-vials. The insert 540 has a tubular outer casing 502 sized to fit into the hole 214 of the top plate 212. The outer casing 502 has protruding ribs 504 to keep the insert in place once until it is removed from the top plate 212. Instead of a through-hole, the insert 540 has an open top chamber 542. The chamber can be sealed by placing a removable lid 544 on top of the insert 540.

The slide storage insert 550 of FIG. 5 f is designed to hold slides. The base 552 of the slide storage insert 550 is identical to the insert 500 of FIG. 5 a. The slide housing unit 554 is a rectangular container attached to the top of the base 552. A side lid 556 provides easy access to the interior of the slide housing unit 554. Horizontal supports 558 on the interior walls of the slide housing unit 554 allow slides 50 to be stacked safely and orderly.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the exemplary inserts depicted in FIGS. 5 a-5 f may vary. The depicted examples are not meant to imply physical limitations with respect to the present invention. The inserts 500, 510, 520, 530, 540 and 550 for example, may be constructed with different inner and outer bore sizes, shapes, or otherwise allow for other sample containers to be stored.

FIG. 6 depicts an exemplary partitioned drawer 600 within the storage system of FIG. 2 configured for maximum flexibility. The partitioned drawer 600 has a shortened removable top plate 602, with at least one hole 214, that fits securely over the top surface of the drawer 202. The hole 214 may further accept an insert 216 for stabilizing sample tubes 40. Removable separators 604 securely flank the edges of the shortened removable top plate 602. Bottles 30 and boxes 10 may now be stored in the same drawer without damaging the sample tubes 40.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the exemplary partitioned drawer 600 depicted in FIG. 6 may vary. The depicted example is not meant to imply physical limitations with respect to the present invention. The separators 604, for example, may take different shapes and forms than as depicted. Many different configurations can be implemented to address a wide range of storage needs.

FIG. 7 depicts an exemplary tube rack 700 in which the present invention may be implemented. At least one vertical support member 702 is attached to a base 704. The tube rack 700 has a removable top plate 212, with at least one hole 214, that fits securely over the top surface of the vertical support member 702. The hole 214 may further accept an insert 216 for stabilizing sample tubes 40. The removable top plate 212 may also be used with the storage system 200 of FIG. 2.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the exemplary tube rack 700 depicted in FIG. 7 may vary. The depicted example is not meant to imply physical limitations with respect to the present invention. The base 704 and support member 702, for example, may take different shapes and forms than as depicted.

The present invention is directed toward a storage system for providing high accessibility and flexibility. Specifically, the present invention is directed toward a freezer drawer rack for providing high accessibility and flexibility with respect to storing samples, particularly samples stored in tubes and bottles. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the terms “samples”, “tubes”, and “bottles” encompass a wide variety of things.

Compared to the prior art, accessibility is greatly improved by eliminating the need for separate boxes within a drawer. A removable top plate with holes is fitted to the top of the drawer. Inserts can be fitted into the holes within the removable top plate. The inserts greatly improve flexibility by allowing tubes of different diameter to be stored together in a single drawer without resorting to boxes. The inserts can also be built to store other sample containers, such as cryo-vials and slides. In fact, bottles, tubes and boxes may in fact be stored in a partitioned drawer. Thus, samples from an entire patient or specimen could be easily stored in one drawer.

The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention, the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. 

1. A storage system comprising: a drawer having a top surface; a frame for accepting at least one drawer; and a top plate for removably placing over the top surface of the drawer.
 2. The storage system of claim 1, wherein said top plate has at least one hole for receiving a sample tube.
 3. The storage system of claim 2, wherein each said hole has a removable insert.
 4. The storage system of claim 3, wherein said removable insert has a through-hole for stabilizing the tube.
 5. The storage system of claim 4, wherein said removable insert with said through-hole has a bore size decreasing in size from top to bottom.
 6. The storage system of claim 4, wherein said removable insert has at least one flexible inner protrusion for stabilizing tubes of different diameter.
 7. The storage system of claim 3, wherein said removable insert has a chamber open at the top.
 8. The storage system of claim 7, wherein said removable insert with said chamber open at the top has a removable lid.
 9. The storage system of claim 3, wherein said removable insert has a slide housing unit attached to the top of said insert.
 10. The storage system of claim 1, wherein said drawer has a face plate.
 11. The storage system of claim 8, wherein said drawer with said face plate has a card holder.
 12. The storage system of claim 1, wherein said top plate may cover some or all of the top surface of said drawer.
 13. The storage system of claim 1, further comprising a separator removably inserted into said drawer.
 14. The storage system of claim 1, wherein said drawer has a bottom plate for supporting bottles and/or sample tubes.
 15. A tube rack comprising: a base; at least one vertical support member; and a top plate removably attached to said vertical support member, wherein said top plate has at least one hole for receiving a sample tube and wherein each said hole has a removable insert.
 16. The storage system of claim 15, wherein said removable insert has a through-hole for stabilizing the tubes.
 17. The storage system of claim 16, wherein said removable insert with said through-hole has a bore size decreasing in size from top to bottom.
 18. The storage system of claim 16, wherein said removable insert has at least one flexible inner protrusion for stabilizing tubes of different diameter.
 19. The storage system of claim 15, wherein said removable insert has a chamber open at the top.
 20. The storage system of claim 19, wherein said removable insert with said chamber open at the top has a removable lid.
 21. The storage system of claim 15, wherein said removable insert has a slide housing unit attached to the top of said insert. 